THE LAST SHALL BE FIRST

A friend of mine has started posting an email Bible study. I'll be posting them here and hope to get some discussions going. Here's the first one.



Scriptures: Matthew chapters 19-20 verses 19: 28-30 and 20:9-16, 25-28. Rev. 3:21.



“28Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. “



There was a discussion of how difficult it was to enter the Kingdom of heaven if one is rich. Peter tells Jesus they have left all to follow Him and Jesus reply was above.



Then in the next chapter Jesus begins to explain what it is when He says first will be last and the last will be first.



Chapter 20; 9-16

9“The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. 10So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

13“But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

16“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”





There again it says the last will be first, and the first last.



Matt 20:25-28

25Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”



Jesus made himself to be last to serve and bring Salvation at a huge cost to Himself.





Questions



1-What did Jesus say was essential for us to achieve eternal life?

2-What kinds of things could we give up to inherit eternal life?

3-What has Jesus shown as examples of the sacrifices He has made?

4- Who does God want us to love the most?

5-Is the Christian life an easy one?



Additional reading:



Exodus 20: 2-3.

3“You shall have no other gods before me.

4“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6but showing love to a thousand [generations] of those who love me and keep my commandments.





Matt 22: 37-40Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”



Rev 3:21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.